Ranking

Best Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Colleges in California 2026

108 California colleges offering Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $2,039
Top earnings 10y: $124,080
Public / Private: 24 / 1

Irvine Valley College

Irvine, CA · Public

ROI score: 58.80
Net price: $2,090
Earnings 10y: $49,156
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Hartnell College

Salinas, CA · Public

ROI score: 54.34
Net price: $2,039
Earnings 10y: $44,316
Acceptance: Open / not reported

San Joaquin Delta College

Stockton, CA · Public

ROI score: 44.88
Net price: $2,407
Earnings 10y: $43,212
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Yuba College

Marysville, CA · Public

ROI score: 38.39
Net price: $2,576
Earnings 10y: $39,552
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA · Public

ROI score: 37.96
Net price: $2,779
Earnings 10y: $42,193
Acceptance: Open / not reported

West Valley College

Saratoga, CA · Public

ROI score: 37.75
Net price: $3,423
Earnings 10y: $51,688
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA · Public

ROI score: 37.59
Net price: $2,818
Earnings 10y: $42,368
Acceptance: Open / not reported

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

ROI score: 37.31
Net price: $3,967
Earnings 10y: $59,211
Acceptance: 91.3%

Shasta College

Redding, CA · Public

ROI score: 34.11
Net price: $2,878
Earnings 10y: $39,269
Acceptance: Open / not reported

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, CA · Public

ROI score: 33.11
Net price: $3,702
Earnings 10y: $49,022
Acceptance: Open / not reported

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA · Public

ROI score: 32.85
Net price: $4,564
Earnings 10y: $59,977
Acceptance: 93.7%

Saddleback College

Mission Viejo, CA · Public

ROI score: 30.63
Net price: $4,152
Earnings 10y: $50,874
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Pasadena City College

Pasadena, CA · Public

ROI score: 28.43
Net price: $3,864
Earnings 10y: $43,937
Acceptance: Open / not reported

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA · Public

ROI score: 26.10
Net price: $5,652
Earnings 10y: $59,009
Acceptance: 93.9%

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA · Public

ROI score: 26.04
Net price: $6,067
Earnings 10y: $63,188
Acceptance: 98.1%

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA · Public

ROI score: 24.01
Net price: $6,555
Earnings 10y: $62,951
Acceptance: 90.5%

Las Positas College

Livermore, CA · Public

ROI score: 23.75
Net price: $5,377
Earnings 10y: $51,088
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA · Public

ROI score: 23.66
Net price: $3,860
Earnings 10y: $36,526
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA · Public

ROI score: 23.65
Net price: $4,669
Earnings 10y: $44,170
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Stanford University

Stanford, CA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 22.47
Net price: $13,807
Earnings 10y: $124,080
Acceptance: 3.6%

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, CA · Public

ROI score: 22.36
Net price: $4,824
Earnings 10y: $43,145
Acceptance: Open / not reported

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · Public

ROI score: 21.87
Net price: $7,000
Earnings 10y: $61,244
Acceptance: 95.3%

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

ROI score: 21.05
Net price: $7,021
Earnings 10y: $59,115
Acceptance: 93.5%

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA · Public

ROI score: 19.40
Net price: $5,814
Earnings 10y: $45,120
Acceptance: Open / not reported

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

ROI score: 19.15
Net price: $9,320
Earnings 10y: $71,401
Acceptance: 97.4%

How we picked this list

This list starts with California schools with positive Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 31.19 (24 public, 1 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

Related lists

All EduGradify rankings → All California colleges → All Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft colleges → Highest ROI colleges nationwide → Cheapest US colleges →

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Irvine Valley College in Irvine, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many California colleges are in this list?

108 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.